Apparatus for catching and delivering mail-pouches on railway mail-cars.



' No. 889,084. PATBNTED MAY 26, 1908.

A M. E. ALLEN. APPARATUS FOR GATCHING AND DELIVE AMAIL GA APPLIOATION FILED MAR.2V5.1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RING MAIL POUGHES 0N RAILWAY I RS.

UNrrED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

'MILLARD- EDWIN ALLEN, OF DANVILLE, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR CATCHING AND DELIVERING MAIL-POUCHES ON RAIIAVAY MAIL- CARS. l i

Specification of Letters Patent.

APatented May 2e, 1908.

'Application le'd March 25, 1908. Serial No. 423,228.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, MILLARD EDWIN AL- LEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Danville, in the county of Boyle and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Catchirlg and Delivering Mail- Pouches on Railway ail-Cars, of whlch the following is a specification. f

This invention relates to apparatus for `showing the car partly in section; Fig. 4, a

detailpers ective view of the reversing mechanism; an Fig. 5, a detail plan view of the catcher.

Similarreference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. p

ily improved catcher and deliverer consists essentially of two similar catchers 1 and 2, the catcher 1 being mounted on an arm 3, which extends from a stanchion 4,. which in turn is'pivotally mounted in brackets 5 4attached to vthe door-frame of the car, and catcher 2 being'mounted on an arm 6 extending from a crane post 7 and suspending-fingers, 8, extending from the rear of the catcher 1, and 9, supported by an arm l() which extends from stanchion 4, for suspendingthe pouch to be delivered; and similar sus ending-fingers for suspending the pouch to e caught on 'the train; finger 11, heldA by an arm 12 extending from crane-'post 7 and finger 13, extendingfrom the rear of catcher 2.

The construction of the catchers, which are similar in construction, is shown in Figs. 1 and 5 which show catcher 1. A main bar, 14, is provided, adapted to be secured upon an arm, '3 or 6. Two pivoted arms, 15 and 16, in the form of bell-crank levers, are pivoted at their fulcrum point 17 to bar 14 by a common rod or pin 18. Thearms 15 and 16y are broadened and tapered from their for'- ward ends to their rear ends and provided with an opening between their edges so as to admit bar 14 through the opening at pivot ward by a spring 31.

point. 17 The arm 15 is broader than arm .16 in order that arm 1.6 may pass through the hOpening in arm 15, and both arms are pivoted or hinged over bar 14 by the common- `lpivot rpin 18, so that the long, forward-extending arms 15 and 16 may be spread apart 0r brought together like the-handles of a pair vof tongs. Latches 19 and 2O are pivoted in arms 15 and 16 at 21 and 22 respectively in such a position that they `may catch the shorter ends 23 and 24 of arms 15 and 16 respectively. Triggers 25 and 26, are pivoted in arms 15 and 16 at 27 and 28 respectively, and are adapted to be normally extended across the opening between arms 15 and 16- when the arms are separated. The shorter ends 'of triggers 25 and 26 extend beyond pivots 27 and 28 and are joined with latches 19 and 20 b r means of links 27 and 28. It will be un erstood that by these means, when triggers 25 and' 26 are placed in' the same straight line across the opening between arms 15'and 16, the latches 19 and 2O are in position to engage parts 23 and 24, and when triggers 25 and 26 are pushed inward, as shown by the dotted lines1 (Fig. 5), latches 19 and 20 release parts 23 and 24.

Flat springs 29 are secured on each side of bar 14 and extend forward, so that .they press upony the outer side of arms 15 and 16 and have'a tendencyto close the outer ends of the arms together, as shown by the dotted lines. A buiier, 30,- is provided on the front end of bar 14 and is pressed yieldingly for-- Bar 14 is preferably notched underneath (Figs. 1 and 4), in order that it may fit over its supporting arm 3 or 6, to prevent it swinging around and to keep it at right angles with its siipporting-arln.

A bolt, 32, (Fig. 4) secures-bar 14 to arni 3, and a spring 33, under the head of bolt 32, presses ar 14 firmly into engagement with arm 3. When, however, it is desired to reverse bar 14, to reverse the catcher, bar 14 may be raised against the pressure of spring- '33 until the notch in bar 14 is free from arm 3, when the catcher may be swung around until the notch again engages thc arm in which position spring 33 will then firmly hold it. f

Stanchion 4 is pivpted in upper and lower brackets 5, so that arms 3 and 10, extending therefrom, may be swung dhtward at right angles to the side of .the car, or inward withlll) . brackets 5 is also provided on each door post such a position that arms 3 and 10 just 'slide over them whenthe arms are swung out into operative position'at right'angles to the side ot the car. 'Spring catches, 36 and 37, are provided on brackets 34 and'35 and are connected by 'a vertical 1ink, 38, in such. a manner that when arms 3 and 10 are extended to operativeposition catches 36 an" 37 spring up behind them and hold them ir -the extended position. A pedal lever,"39, 1s pivoted to the do'or-post at 40, and to the vertical link 38 at 41. Thus the latches 36 and 37 'may be sprungdown, so as to release arms Sand' 10, by placing the foot under pedal 39 and raising it. This system of brackets 34 and 35 and catches and pedal is provided on each' side of the door, in order that the catcher may be placed on either side to provide for running the car in either direction. Av set of for the same purpose. .A spring, 42, A(Fig. 2) is attached to the inner wall of the car,by one of its ends, and to `a linger, 43, ony stan-4 chion 4. This spring has a tendency to swing arms 3 and 1() intothe car when they are released from catches 36 and 37.

The usual cranep'ost 7 is placed at the station Where the mail is to be delivered. From the top of this extends the arm 12, toward the track, and .at some distancefurther down, the

arm 6, parallel to arm 12. Arm 12 iscprovided at its free end with the oppositely-facing suspending-fingers 11,.adapted to receive vthe ring on one end of a mail v the free end of theliinger.

pouch- Each of the lingers 11 is provided with a spring,

44, which presses down upon The spring 44 revents thering from beingslipped-o" .the Enger-by ordinary forces, such as wind, vbut .will release the ring when violently jerked by the moving catcher 1.

vided with asuspending finger 13 at its rear, and this finger .13 is also provided kwith a spring 45,-similar to spring 44. Spring 45 is p aced'underneath finger 13,

The operation of the apparatus will now be readilyunderstood. Let the train (Fig.` 1)

be `moving in the direction of the arrow.

Theoperator upon the 'train has spread arms 15 an 16 of catcher-1, suspended a pouch 46 on fingers 8 and 9 by pressing the rings'of the pouch under their springs fand has then swung the catcher 1 and pouch 46 thus suspended-,out the'cardoor until latches 36 and -37 have secured arms 3 and 10. At the station the mail clerk has suspended. vpouch 47 -matically swung into 'latc es' pivoted in The lower'arm 6 carthe pouch isA 'de-1 livered from, the train` Catcher2 is pro-ucar and arms on the car, and means on fingers 11 and 13 by pressing the rings under their springs and has spread the arms of catcher 2, in readiness for the approaching t train. As the'car passes crane 7, pouch 46 enters catcher 3, strikes -triggers 25 and 26, thereby releasing latches 19 and 20, so that arms 15 and 16 come together and clasp the ouch, which now strikes buffer 30 and is irmly held in the grasp of the catcher. The buffer 30, with its spring 31, receives the impact, so that the pouch is arrested Without destroying or injuring the crane, At the same time that pouch 46 is delivered, catcher 1 grasps pouch 47strips it from fingers 11' and 13,"holds it firmly, and carries it along. The mail clerk in the car' now releases the latches 36' and 37, and the catcher 1 is autothe car by the force of spring 42, lwhere the pouch 47 may be released frorn the catcher. It will be understood that there is no active element of danger to the operator in operating this apparatus, since he doesnot have to hold any art thereof whileit is operating, nor ex ose iiimself outside of the car-door at any time,A because all of'the adjusting of pouches to be delivered, and releasing pouches caughtis donewithin the car. y

Having thus described-my invention, I claim*k l 1,'A mail catcher and deliverer for railway postofiices, comprising in combination with a car and a crane, a catcher on the car and a catcher on the crane, said catchers each comprising sha ed arms for receiving a mail f ouch, f

said arms tp catclli said arms and hold them inlspread condition, and triggers pivotally mounted in said Aarms operatively connected with said latches to re- 100 lease said arms.

2. A mail catcher and -deliverer for'railway post ofices, comprising in combination a car, a crane, swinging arms, a catcher on said on said carbeingmounted on one of said swinging arms to swing out of and into saidA car, said catcher on said crane being mounted stationary thereon, said catchers each comprisi'ng pivoted arms which ceive'a mail pouch and held in th'e spread condition and closed by the mail pouch when l it enters the catcher, means for suspending a mail pouch to be delivered on said swinging mail pouch to be caught from said crane.

`MILLARDv EDV-IN ALLEN.

Witnesses: f

HENRY JACKSON, E. N. LEE.

pivoted and bell crank- 95 a catcherion said crane, said catcher v are spread to re- 1.10

for suspending a 

